DRB LasGidi’s Pioneers film outlines the Nigerian group’s influence

Much of what the general public has come to know of the Nigerian music scene over the past few years has been through the pop-leaning afrobeats of artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido, Tiwa Savage, and Yemi Alade, who have managed to break through to the global mainstream. But one of the more exciting developments out of the country in recent memory is its youth culture — which is producing refreshing contributions to the world of fashion, art, and music. That youth culture is sometimes referred to as the Alté scene, which is responsible for rising stars such as Santi, Odunsi The Engine, Lady Donli, Tems, and more.

Before these names and trends started to bleed out onto the borderless digital world, three-man group DRB LasGidi was laying the foundation for what the Alté scene would become. In one way or another, Boj, Fresh L, and Teezee have all hand their hands in pushing Nigerian youth culture to the world, which would explain why their forthcoming album is titled Pioneers. The 12-track album features some of the scenes brightest stars, and today on The FADER, we are premiering a mini-doc associated with the release.

The four-minute film features appearances from Nigerian heavyweights like Davido and Skepta singing the group's praises as well as fans talking about why DRB is so crucial to the scene. “The making of the album was a really exciting process for us because it gave us an opportunity to bring everyone from the Alté community together on one project — Santi, Odunsi The Engine, TEMS, GMK, Genio, Adey, Wani, Prettyboy DO and Lady Donli," Teezee said in an email. "We made this short documentary to show everyone how hard we’ve worked on this project trying to connect the Alté sound and take it to a newer level. It might be the first and last time everyone hears a DRB album but we know it was worth the wait. It’s the beginning of the future and of us venturing into the new world.” Watch the film above.